Short Stories

Time

Rosie was never good with her words, especially in comparison to her partner Toby.

She was born into theatre, into lead roles on stage before she eventually climbed up the ladder into the silver screens of acting. She was dubbed a Hollywood sweetheart, and with her impeccable talent, Rosie had lead roles landing on her desk every week.

Her fame shot through the roof, and while it was daunting being in the spotlight, Rosie decided to take a step back from such lead roles. Her first movie after her trilogy - where she played the title role over four years - was in the role of a side character in a movie adaptation of the Greek gods and goddesses. Rosie was Aphrodite.

It revolved around the births and myths of the famous twelve; Zeus, Hera, Hermes, Dionysus, Poseidon, Athena, Artemis, Apollo, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, and Demeter. 

It was a pretty cliche story now Rosie thought back on it, but it was a quieter role, and one so different to her previous badass and fierce character. Playing Aphrodite, a side character in the film, was refreshing.

On that film was where she met one of her eleven co-stars, Toby.

Despite the media's constant overage of her new role and how she was apparently in love with the actor who played her on-screen lover Ares, it was the actor who played her on-screen husband that drew her eye.

Toby wasn't the best looking man in the world. He was lankier than most, had a chin that jutted out a tad too much, his face like a crescent moon, but his dark brown eyes were soft when he spoke to her. Rosie couldn't help but watch him, but smile at him.

He was beautiful in other ways.

In the reading rooms, how he would jokingly read his character Hephaestus' lines in the most high-pitched voice to make the others laugh, breaking the ice. How in the brutal scenes where the film takes a much darker turn, he switched out his traditional Ancient Greek attire with a superman outfit that was much too big for him that made Rosie laugh.

Toby had a beautiful sense of humour. Was quick with his words too, often making jokes within a second of someone saying something inappropriate. He even danced like no one was there to judge him.

He hid his insecurities well, how he thought no one would like his looks because he wasn't a buff, tall man with the ability to grow a beard or have a perfectly symmetrical smile.

Rosie fell in love with him quicker than she'd ever dare admit.

When she asked him out after they'd finished production, and had some free time before they had to undergo re-shoots or the press tour, he was shocked...and didn't believe her.

So she asked him a second time.

And a third.

Until he got the hint she was genuinely interested in him and not joking around. Rosie didn't realise how insecure he was about his looks until she went on a few dates with him, got to know him a little more.

How much he hid behind his hilarious personality.

How he always grew his hair long, a habit since he was younger, as an attempt to hide his face.

Rosie had been showered in compliments all her life, and even more so since she started to delve into show-business. She was a confident woman, knew her body, knew what looked best on her, knew her fears as well as her dreams.

Toby had been bullied so severely, he found his salvation in comedy, in acting. He made his bullies laugh by joining in on the jokes about his looks, he beat them to it sometimes. He stopped giving them control over him - but in doing so damaged his self-esteem so heavily he believed no one would find him attractive, let alone appealing to date.